LAFC loses first home game this season vs. United

For the first time in 2019 Major League Soccer season, Los Angeles Football Club (19-4-5) failed to defend the Banc.

LAFC had not lost a league match at home (11-0-2) this season entering play on Sunday, but the team fell to Minnesota United (13-9-6) 2-0 at Banc of California Stadium while playing without star forward and captain Carlos Vela, who did not dress for the match due to the hamstring injury suffered against the Galaxy last weekend. The rare home loss kept LAFC from securing the top seed in the western conference playoffs.

“We all know that Carlos [Vela] is an important guy in our attack, with goals, and the assists, and just the number of ways that he can create chances,” said LAFC head coach Bob Bradley after the loss. “But, this kind of game happens around the world on a lot of days and in a lot of places. When you become a good team, teams are going to come in with a real plan and then your ability to understand how to deal with those games, that’s always going to challenging.”

Minnesota United sat back and played behind the ball as much as any team has against LAFC this season. The team allowed LAFC to control 75% of possession in the first half, but quelled every attempt by the home team to get forward. Minnesota led 2-0 at halftime despite completing nearly 300 fewer passes that LAFC. The teams played a scoreless second half in a similar fashion.

“I thought we started off the game with good tempo, so I was satisfied that we were finding good ways to move the ball, mixing up right and left, that kind of thing,” said Bradley. “As we got closer to the goal, with that many people back there, your margin is small, so that’s where the microscope looks at all the decisions, the touches, when do you dribble, all these things, so that would still be an area where, at the end of the night, we don’t score a goal, it’s not good enough.”

Vela’s skill and leadership were missed on the front line, but LAFC’s attack also showed that the team is still bringing Uruguayan forward Brian Rodriguez up to speed. Individually, Rodriguez, his fellow countryman Diego Rossi and center forward Adama Diomonde all had looks on goal against Minnesota, but LAFC struggled to play it’s regular attacking style against Minnesota’s defense. LAFC attempted 24 shots against Minnesota on Sunday, but only eight shots were considered on target.

The win vaults Minnesota United, which just ended a deep run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a loss in the final to Atlanta United, into 3rd place in a very tight western conference race with 45 points. LAFC (62 points) remain 16 points clear of second place in the west, but will have to wait a little longer to clinch the top spot in the conference.

Posted by https://goo.gl/TXzGV5